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Tourism literature tends to focus on passive tourists, who constitute the majority of tourists today. However, there is a growing number of individuals who overlap their study, work, and business with tourism activities. These independent tourists have created a new segment in the tourism industry, where tourists develop and experience their own tourism activities. However, there is a lack of current research on these independent tourists, especially in terms of how they function in the experience management process and how this can be translated into various new types of offers.

This study investigates the functions, experiences, and behaviors of this type of tourists. Accordingly, this study makes use of purposive sampling, employing direct observation, in-depth interviews, and analysis of personal social media (e.g., blogs). The findings show that while some independent tourists function in a multitude of ways, from searching for ideas to composing, creating, and experiencing their own products, others are less active and tend to piggyback their efforts on those of more active tourists. The study finds that the motivational matrix is highly important for individuals who combine work and tourism. Working persons with a strong motivation for tourism relative to work maintain high levels of commitment, activity, and creativity in the tourism sphere, especially when they face problems with their work. Highly satisfied independent tourists initiate future actions by either revisiting the same destination or leading others to have similar experiences at the same location. Finally, the chapter discusses some methodological lessons learned from direct observation and in-depth interviews and studying social media.

During the years that have passed since John Maynard Keynes's “General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money” appeared—i. e. at a time when a generation of economists set itself the task of fructifying the theoretical theses of the “General Theory” and the analytical apparatus developed—or interpreted afresh—by Keynes, during these years the science represented by those assembled here was only just establishing itself: The science of tourism.

The effects of travel motivation and emotional experience on both tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty are recognized and have been extensively researched as key factors in tourism success. However, the structural relationships between these factors, considering the mediating effects of eudaimonic well-being (optimal psychological functioning), have been scarcely investigated in the consumer tourist behaviors literature. This study aims to develop an integrated model explaining the impact of travel motivation and emotional experience on tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty, mediated by eudaimonic well-being in the realm of domestic tourism.

A quantitative survey was conducted with 321 domestic tourists visiting Aqaba in Jordan; structural equation modeling was used to analyze the empirical data.

The findings of this study indicate that both travel motivation and emotional experience have a direct effect on eudaimonic well-being and that eudaimonic well-being has a direct effect on both tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty. Additionally, travel motivation and emotional experience have significant indirect impacts on post-consumption behaviors mediated by eudaimonic well-being.

This study contributes to the literature on consumer behavior in a tourism context by developing a fresh model that improves theoretical knowledge of the relationships between travel motivation, emotional experience and eudaimonic well-being, which underlie tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty formation. This study also advances theoretical understanding of the key roles of eudaimonic well-being in the tourist experience. Managerial implications of these findings are discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to share information on how the advantages of tourism are both a result and a determinant of the quality of life in rural areas. Consequently, it is one of the main factors for sustainable development in the social context.

Quantitative and qualitative research was undertaken of 36 villages that have been developing rural tourism for at least 20 years in Poland. In-depth interviews were conducted with destination management organizations (DMO) leaders and members of the local communities. Direct observation was used to gain an understanding of the realities in the field. Round table discussions with managers of rural tourism and members of the communities helped to perform the cost-benefit analysis of the development of rural tourism. This study was conducted between the years 2009 and 2014.

This study monitored patterns and changes in residents’ quality of life and measured their perceptions of rural tourism. The findings showed that negligence and errors during the planning stage results in a negative opinion of tourism, leading to unfavorable effects on future development, causing intolerable material, financial and social costs. Three types of factors influencing tourism were identified: social and technical infrastructure, ecology and lifestyle. These findings are important for local policymakers and rural tourism business.

Readers need to remember that only clearly determined population was considered in the research and specific sampling settings; reference to other settings may have produced different results. The extent to which the findings can be generalized certainly requires further investigation.

The development of rural tourism is considered a viable means to attract tourists to a destination and to enhance residents’ overall quality of life. However, the perception of tourism’s influence on the overall quality of life depended on internal marketing and proper communication. This study yielded interesting conclusions that have practical implications for DMO and tourism leaders who continually evaluate rural tourism initiatives.

The experience of 20 years in the Polish modern agrotourism industry represent a set of observations concerning both the improvement within the quality of life of rural residents, as well as the danger of social conflict, depending on the management tools and practices applied at rural tourist destinations. Negligence and errors during the planning stage may result in a negative opinion of tourism, leading to unfavorable effects on future development of tourism and causing intolerable material, financial and social costs.

Although this study referred to communities living in Polish villages, the findings show that detailed planning and the DMO’s communication efforts resulted in positive opinions from local residents with regard to tourism, and helped to avoid high material, financial and social costs. The case studies from Poland offer a universal benchmark in managing rural tourism destinations and show the challenges that needed to be addressed for the development of sustainable rural tourist destinations.

This paper aims to assess the value of impact perceptions as an indicator of social carrying capacity in the heritage town of Besalú, Spain. Additionally, it assesses the impact tourism dependence and other socio-demographic variables have on this indicator.

A literature review on social exchange theory (SET) and carrying capacity related to impact perceptions is presented. The method was a survey, with a questionnaire based on the literature review and in-depth interviews. The results have been analyzed statistically to determine the links between perceptions and socio-demographic variables. Using statistical tools, perceptions are compared to three indicators that have been used to determine capacity in literature: willingness to accept more tourism, tourism pressure and the tourist function index.

The willingness of residents to enter into, and remain, in an exchange relationship is affected primarily by tourism dependence, and to a lesser extent by gender and education. Additionally, impact perceptions do not correspond to a willingness to accept more tourists. The impacts of tourism on conservation show greater consensus, while impacts on the availability of space for residents show links to other capacity indicators.

This study enhances the body of knowledge on social carrying capacity in heritage towns, by focusing on a regionally prominent day-tripper heritage town facing high tourism pressure which is Besalú. From a theoretical perspective, this study attempts to merge carrying capacity and SET, thus linking sustainability to social exchange. It also highlights the importance of a gender-based perspective in sustainability.

In the late 1990s, the tourism in Serbia had been developing spontaneously, supported by the policy of undifferentiated marketing. That kind of approach to tourism development led to unsatisfying results, which is a notion primarily based on Serbia’s obvious natural and social resources. An alternative to this approach to tourism development is the differentiated marketing strategy focusing on relevant market segments called “targets.” That way, it would be possible to commercially valorize a significant number of resources (natural and social) as well as a large number of touristic products.

Due to current trends in the international tourism market – moving away from the concept of mass tourism (holiday at the seaside and “ski resorts”), i.e., the ongoing diversification of tourism products, there is undoubtedly more potential for new tourism development trends. The increasing investment in tourism development of the Danube basin, with a larger number of potential tourist products, is expected to make it more attractive to the tourist market. This should have positive effects on the overall development of tourism in Serbia.

This chapter focuses primarily on the research of the Upper Danube region. It will show the importance of the natural and social (anthropogenic) resources suitable for the development of tourism in this area. Special attention shall be paid to the concept of sustainable tourism development, which develops tourism in accordance with the interests of all stakeholders. The positive interaction between all interest groups creates the conditions that ensure satisfaction of all stakeholders and general welfare.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to analyze the phenomenon of urban tourism hypertrophy (UTH) in the context of the process of tourism-related social conflicts formation; and second, to discuss the extent to which destination management organizations (DMOs) are prepared to take responsibilities and actions undertaken in this process.

The paper adopts conflict management (CM) theory as a framework for discussing UTH within the city context. The paper then analyzes the empirical example of social conflict in Kraków (Poland) to assess the predispositions of key institutions engaged in destination governance to lead CM process triggered by UTH. The Circle of Conflict approach proposed by C. Moore (The Mediation Process: Practical Strategies for Resolving Conflict, Jossey Bass, San Francisco, CA, 2014) is utilized as the main application method.

The study shows that DMO is the most appropriate entity to deal with UTH as a conflict manager; however, it has insufficient resources to fulfill all requirements relating to that role. Therefore, the range of responsibilities and roles of the contemporary DMOs should be completed with CM as the permanent task during UTH crisis.

The example study was based on interviews carried out with a limited number of informants. Also, the contextual nature of the research as well as specific destination governance structure in Kraków blurred the picture of DMOs predispositions to leading the CM process.

The study supports urban DMO managers by suggesting a tool of diagnosis and intervention in UTH-induced conflicts. Thus, it makes fulfilling the mediator role a destination governance task.

CM brings agreement among parties as to the understanding of the nature of conflict, which forms the basis for quick and mutually agreed actions, according to sustainable development principles.

The paper proposes an alternative approach to mitigate UTH-related problems in cities by adopting the CM framework which emphasizes the universal nature of conflict causes and proposes adequate tools for undertaking actions by DMOs.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the tourist landscape as represented in Turisme de Barcelona’s YouTube tourism promotional videos, looking at the landscape’s tangible locations, symbolic and tourist assets and the protagonists in an effort to interpret its storytelling in an overtourism context.

The mixed methodology is based on a visual content analysis of promotional videos posted on the official Barcelona tourism YouTube channel. Quantitative data analysis about the assets and their localization was completed with a qualitative assessment of the way these assets are displayed to unveil the narrative they convey.

The results highlight that Barcelona’s projected image is mainly based on tangible heritage (especially monuments), its recognizable cityscape and its eno-gastronomic assets. This rather conventional image is geographically concentrated on the neighborhoods perceived as tourist neighborhoods.

This analysis provides a critical reflection of the actual strategy of destination management organizations and the storytelling they transmit. The findings can help to orientate their future actions and provide a method of analysis that can be repeated for other destinations.

This paper sheds new light on the use of urban landscapes in nonstatic images both as a narrative subject and as a tangible tourist space in promotional discourse.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between global cities and international tourism with particular reference to the recent experiences of Tokyo which has recently seen a marked increase in arrivals. It addresses questions of the standing of Tokyo as a global city and tourist destination, how the two functions are connected and why changes are occurring.

The methodology employed is that of an empirical case study based on the analysis of published materials drawn from a diversity of sources.

The defining characteristics of global cities are generally conducive to their function as international tourist destinations. They possess a wealth of tourism resources and amenities which facilitate inbound tourist flows. Tokyo is a prominent example of a global city, but has tended to attract fewer visitors than others in that category. The recent significant growth in arrivals is attributed to changes in the tourism industry and wider environment, yet some challenges remain before it can catch up with its counterparts.

Fresh insights are afforded into the implications of global city status for tourism and the development of Tokyo as a destination which tends to have been neglected in the literature.

Purpose – This chapter shows that in the presence of tourism, the traditional policy prescription, free trade in goods and the standard Pigouvian tax on pollution, is not optimal for a small open economy.

Methodology/approach – The general-equilibrium analysis is employed to study environmental regulations for a small open economy with tourism.

Findings – Foreign tourists consume mainly local non-traded goods in the tourist-receiving economy. Inbound tourism converts formally non-traded goods into tradables, generating a tourism terms-of-trade effect. Owing to this favourable effect, positive tariffs and stricter pollution taxes can actually improve welfare of domestic residents. The optimal rates of tariffs and pollution taxes are derived and explained for the economy with tourism. These positive rates are confirmed by simulations.

Originality/value of chapter – The presence of tourism can alter the welfare implications of the traditional trade policy.